Category Archives: Crown Publishers

Frightful Friday: Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. This week’s featured title is Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines:

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway; Reprint edition (February 26, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0804136572
  • Source: Publisher (egalley)

A zombie outbreak has devastated the Earth. A year later, in Los Angeles, a band of superheroes attempts to protect survivors sheltered in what remains of Hollywood. As if fighting zombies, known as exes (ex-humans), wasn’t enough, the heroes are also forced to battle a rabid street gang known as the Seventeens over remaining supplies.

Told in alternating chapters of “Then” and “Now,” Clines successfully executes a pretty tremendous feat of combining two very different worlds. The heroes he creates are unique, ranging from a human electric current (Zzap) to a man who cannot die yet can heal others (The Regenerator). Each of these individuals have only recently discovered their powers, in most cases many just woke up with these extremely unique talents. Each of the chapters covers the viewpoint of these heroes, allowing readers to both piece together the events that lead to this devastation as well as get a unique viewpoint with each chapter.

It would be easy for a novel like this to crash and burn, but Clines is such a skilled writer (and obvious fan of comic book heroes) that he pulls it off successfully. Down to the origin, physiology and behavior of the zombies/exes, Clines creates a wholly unique spin on a subject matter (zombies) that seems to be exploding lately.

What makes this such a stand-out novel is the cross-over appeal, both fans of comic/super heroes as well as fans of zombie fiction clambering over one another to get their hands on this truly tremendous title.  I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the next book, Ex-Patriots.

 

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Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

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  • Format: Audiobook
  • Listening Length: 15 hour(s) and 46 min.
  • Publisher: Random House Audio (August 16, 2011)
  • Source: Personal Copy

In the not to distant future, the world is a pretty horrible place.  Many of the planet’s natural resources have been depleted, no replacement in sight. In order to escape from the bleak world in which they live, people retreat to the Oasis, a virtual world in which you can assume any identity, live any life. If you have enough credits, that is.

Wade Watts is one of these individuals. In high-school, he spends most of his days in the Oasis.  He’s enrolled in an Oasis virtual school, hangs out with his one virtual friend, H, at every waking moment.  Wade’s avatar’s name is Parzival, a take off of Percival the Knight. Like many of his counterparts, known as gunters (short for egg hunters), Wade is desperate to find the egg hidden within the Oasis, the key left behind by Oasis-creator James Halliday, when he did. The individual who finds the egg inherits all of Halliday’s money, as well as the Oasis itself.

Obviously, this isn’t an easy task. Halliday hides clues at the end of puzzles, only true gunters able to get even close. The key to solving the puzzle lies within Halliday’s life itself.  As a youth, he too was unable to have a healthy relationship with the real world. He retreated to video games and popular 80s television shows and movies rather than attempting to socialize with other humans.  To succeed in the hunt for the egg one must immerse themselves in 80′s pop culture.

It’s been years since any progress has been made in the hunt.  Then one day, Wade stumbles across the first puzzle and the hunt is reinvigorated.  Throughout his trek Wade forms friendships with other gunters on the same mission, including Artemis. He’s had a crush on her for some time, obsessively reading her blog posts and really anything she posts online.

The hunt becomes more than just a game when Wade is forced to go head-to-head with IOI, a corporation out to take control of the Oasis for its own monetary gain. Wade is forced to take unimaginable risks, including threatening the demise of his avatar and his own life itself.  In order to safe himself, and ultimately the world itself, Wade must immerse himself into the world of the Oasis, ignoring all the potential risks and consequences.

Here is the hard part: how can I accurately portray how much I loved this book without sounding like a complete and total geek? Ok, given the whole feel of this book I don’t think this is really an issue. Geek power is definitely a feeling I get from this book.  That said, don’t let the subject matter fool you into believing you must be a gamer or obsessed with 80s pop culture to appreciate this book. Readers with minimal knowledge of video games, television shows and movies from this era will be able to appreciate the awesomeoness that is Ready, Player One.

I was literally blasted back to my childhood with all the references to television shows (Family Ties!) , video games (Pac-Man!) and movies (Monty Python) that I adored as a child. This is a book that I will keep forever, read multiple times and on a frequent basis. It has clearly earned a spot on my favorite books of the year list; dare I say it tops it?  I know this is probably redundant but I feel the need to state it: Highly Highly Recommended!

A note on the audio production:

Could they have picked a better narrator for this book than Wil Wheaton? I think not! I find it humorous that his name is actually referenced in the book.  Wil’s character in Star Trek is a key part of our pop culture and I therefore found it quite fitting that he be cast as narrator. He does a tremendous job; his voice, inflections, pacing, etc. are all spot on.  Dare I say this is a book that should be listened to rather than read due purely to the narrator? I leave it up to you to decide, but I guarantee you will love it!

 

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Review: Centuries of June by Keith Donohue

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  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Crown (May 31, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0307450287
  • Source: Publisher

    •  

    Jack awakens on his bathroom floor, amid all the grit and grime found on the average bathroom floor.  Unsure of how he got there, he soon discovers a decent-sized hole in the back of his head, his body covered in blood. He assumes he slipped on the floor, or even more likely, tripped over his cat, Harpo, striking his head on the sink or the bathtub.

    Before he can remove himself from the bathroom, Jack is joined by an elderly gentleman, initally assuming it is his father. The man asks him to recollect what happened the evening before. The old man states that he saw eight sets of feet in Jack’s bed.  But before Jack can look for himself, a woman appears in his bathroom.

    Her name is Dollly and she begins telling Jack & the old man a story about a young Native American woman, Yeikoo.shk, who marries a man that can transform into a bear.  Several woman follow Dolly’s lead, each telling a story woven from folklore, mythology, and history, including the Salem witch trials. One-by-one, each of the eight women his bed reveal a story, all linking to a similar theme.  Jack sees a familiar resemblance in each of the women, but it isn’t until the last woman appears that the really meaning behind their visits are revealed.  Each woman is unique, each wielding a different weapon, attempting to kill Jack.

    Set quite literally on the floor of Jack’s bathroom, Centuries of June takes the reader on an extremely detailed journey through history, each woman is a vehicle for another story.  Their stories border on the impossible & unbelievable, but all are about women who face horrible wrongs or betrayal, at the hands of men. Donohue tells each of their stories in a unique way I’ve never witnessed in fiction.

    While it carries the same mythical and fantastical overtone as Donohue’s other books, Centuries of June is a tremendously bold move in my opinion. Donohue intricately weaves together multiple genres, including mystical realism and suspense, genres not normally molded together. The result: a tremendous piece of literary fiction.  Centuries of June isn’t a book that lays everything out at face-value. Instead, the reader must delve into the text, truly embrace the writing, before truly getting to the root of the story. Readers who want everything laid out for them in black & white won’t be thrilled with this method, but those who dare to take the plunge will reap the benefits!

    Highly, highly recommended!

    Be sure to check out Keith on his website, on Facebook, and on Twitter!

    Check out the hilarious video Donohue created, attempting to show ways to mask the “controversial” cover of Centuries of June:

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to participate in this tour! Be sure to check out the other stops on this tour:

    Monday, June 20th:  The Whimsical Cottage
    Thursday, June 23rd:  Reflections of a Bookaholic
    Monday, June 27th:  In the Next Room
    Wednesday, June 29th:  Simply Stacie
    Tuesday, July 5th:  Booksnob
    Thursday, July 7th:  Unabridged Chick
    Monday, July 11th:  Books Distilled
    Tuesday, July 12th:  S. Krishna’s Books
    Wednesday, July 13th:  Man of La Book
    Thursday,  July 14th:  Books Like Breathing
    Friday, July 15th:  Jen’s Book Thoughts
    Monday, July 18th:  A Chick Who Reads
    Tuesday, July 19th:  Drey’s Library
    Wednesday, July 20th:  Fyrefly’s Book Blog
    Thursday, July 21st:  Wordsmithonia
    Friday, July 22nd:  Sara’s Organized Chaos
    Monday, July 25th:  Bloggin’ ’bout Books

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    Review: The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

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    Hardcover: 304 pages
    Publisher: Crown (April 12, 2011)
    ISBN-10: 0307717968
    Source: Publisher 

    Milly and Twiss are two spinster sisters who live in the small Wisconsin town of Spring Green, Wisconsin. They are known by locals as “the bird sisters” due to their habit of rescuing injured birds.

    As children, Twiss & Milly were happy, fun-loving sisters with ambition & hope, as many children do.  However, the summer of 1947 forever changes their future and their hope for happiness. Their cousin Bett arrives, staying with the family while her own goes through a tumultous situation.

    The Bird Sisters is told in alternating chapters, facillating between the past & that telling summer of 1947.  The sisters didn’t have a perfect childhood, not by far.  Their parents’ marriage was a troubled one: their father was a former golf pro, unable to get over the fact that his perfect swing is forever gone; their mother has regret for the decisions she’s made. Their father loved golf more than anything, including their family, “their mother couldn’t forgive their father for wanting a lifestyle more than he wanted her.”

    I wish I could simply tell you to run out and buy this book, that you should just trust my opinion without any backing.  Realizing that is unfair and probably unrealistic, I’ll go into greater detail as to why you must buy this book.

    The characters, including Twiss, Milly, and their parents, are very much like the injured birds that the sisters rescue in their adulthood. They each lose hope, the motivation to try, to become something:

    “Once a bird has lost his ability to fly, not much esle could be done in the way of mending him.  Losing a wing was a little like losing a leg and the freedom of movement, of spirit, it granted you; most people could live without the former but the latter.”

    The reader knows early on the fate of the Bird Sisters. While reading, we journey back with the sisters and discover the path they take to reach this outcome.  The love of family is integral in this novel; the sisters could very well have lead successful and more fruitful lives if they parted ways. 

    Milly selflessly sacrificed her future to save the fate of her family.  Twiss often thought about leaving her sister; she had hopes of seeing Machu Picchu and the Continental Divide.  But since Milly sacrificed so much that summer, she Twiss couldn’t possibly abandon her:

    “She’d grow up with Milly and grow old with her, and then one day, if time had any kindness, she’d die with her.  Leaving Milly alone would’ve been like leaving an injured bird in the middle of the road.”

    Twiss had her own share of issues as a child. She seemed to forever be in doubt of her parents love for her, of her place in this world. She constantly had battles with her mother, ending with Twiss spouting hurtful & painful words. As an adult, however, she eventually realized that the reason she and her mother butt heads so much was due to their similarities.

    The Bird Sisters is a stunning debut; a book that can’t be rushed or skimmed through. To truly appreciate the characters, the story, you must savor this book.  It will make you cry out in both anger and sadness.  Several parts quite literally took my breath away, while others had me shouting expletives.  Take the time to get to know the Bird Sisters; I guarantee you won’t regret it. Highly, highly recommended.

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    Review: The Informationist by Taylor Stevens

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  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Crown (March 8, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0307717097
  • Source: Third party


    • It’s been nine years since Vanessa “Michael” Munroe escaped Cameroon at the young age of fifteen.  She now serves as an “informationist”, and individual who visits developing country & obtains information to assist large corporations.

    Her lastest client is Richard Burbank, a Houston oilman who is searching for his missing step-daughter, Emily.  Emily was eighteen years old when she disappeared four years ago during a vacation to west central Africa. Burbank has paid countless thousands of dollars to private investigators over the years but they’ve all return empty-handed.  He wants some proof that Emily is still alive. While this sort of job isn’t her typical fare, Munroe accepts the offer & reluctantly returns to Africa.  Her past in Africa wasn’t exactly a pleasant one.

    Munroe travels to Africa, accompanied by Miles Bradford, a mercenary with close ties to the Burbank family. It’s not long after her return that Munroe meets up with her past, including a long-lost friend/now gunrunner.  Despite the danger Munroe must face, she feels a connection to this lost girl and is willing to put her own life in danger in order to find her.

    The Informationist is an absolutely stunning debut, written by an incredibly brave woman with her own past.  Taylor Stevens was raised in a religious cult, referred to then as the  Children of God, now known as the Family International. She traveled the world with this organization before breaking free.  This book is dedicated as follows: “To my fellow childhood survivors-you know who you are.”

    While reading, the comparisons between Taylor & the main character, Munroe, were quite evident. Both women, incredibly strong, broke free of a painful childhood, becoming ever-stronger by doing so.

    Munroe is quite the woman.  She’s been burned (quite possibly literally!) many times in the past.  She’s hesitant to open herself up yet she survives on discovering the secrets of others.  She’s strong, both mentally and physically.  She knows her way around guns & most anything that can be considered a deadly weapon.  As the storyline unfolds, so does Munroe’s history. We learn of the abuse she received & her finally escape.  We see the motives & reasoning behind the woman she is now. Taylor’s characterization & depth into not only Munroe but the secondary characters as well shows this debut authors talent not only as an author but a perceptive individual as well.

    The level in which Taylor describes the setting of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea quite literally transports the reader into this unfamiliar world.  I appreciated that this setting was unique, not one often visited in the thriller-writing world. My lack of familiarity about this area of the world did not hamper my reading experience in any manner; Taylor’s detailed descriptions of both the physcial, as well as the “social”, setting of this area world allowed me to read with ease.

    Even before the release nearly a week ago, the media has compared The Informationist to the widely-popular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson. While both books have strong female characters with a talent of hunting down information, the comparison ends there. Taylor Stevens’ The Informationist can stand it’s own!  A completely unique thriller, reportedly the first book in a series.  You can’t afford to miss out on this talent!

    Note: I’d be remiss not to mention the few graphic scenes, not unexpected or unneccesary given the subject of this novel.

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